


Human Problems Require Human Solutions

by FlyingShibaInu



Category: Persona 3
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, I actually like this idea a lot, Ken joined SEES early, Not Beta Read, Pre-Canon, but how to continue???
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-02-28 11:53:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18755926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyingShibaInu/pseuds/FlyingShibaInu
Summary: And so Ken found himself in a mental hospital. Instead of being sent into an orphanage later, one man with glasses accepted him into a dorm.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [Here is a playlist for Ken if you need some music](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSwuEzoIVxVxxR__ouy0DdjaGj7bjWrw)  
>    
> I honestly don't know what happens next after chapter 5. It's one of my most proud works with a bit more planning than usual (because usually I don't at all) but I just don't know how it continues...

_"I told you!" Ken yelled at the police officer. "The sky was green, and a shining horse monster killed my mom!"_

Ken had never thought it would lead him to a mental hospital. If he didn't insist so much about it, people might have shrugged it off as him being tired, or traumatized, or whatever. Now they thought he's crazy. And to be honest, Ken didn't blame them. He would rather be here for now than being shoved into an orphanage.

" _There were coffins, and I heard something. I swear I tasted blood, too!"_

There were many kinds of people. Ken managed to make some friends there, more like people who he could talk with. This one guy said he could summon demons to fight demons. The other said that he saw statues walking in broad daylight. Ken nodded while listening to their stories. With his own story as ridiculous, Ken could understand why no adults believed him.

" _It happens every night," Ken told the doctor. Doubtful eyes, adults shaking heads, and a bottle of pills he never took._

He was not crazy, he told himself. If Ken slept through it, everything was normal. If he decided to stay up until late at night, the green sky was back. They told him to sleep eight hours a day, but he couldn't help staying awake until the green sky had passed. When he was back at home, that night, it was blurry. It was green. He felt nauseous. He felt out of place in his own house with a coffin that was his mother. He never saw her outside of that coffin ever again.

They will seem very real, they said.

It is real, Ken thought. It is very real.

People come and go. Some people had been there for longer than Ken. Some people stayed only for a week. 'Where will I be after this?' Ken asked himself one night lying on his stiff bed. Most likely an orphanage. His father adopting him was out of the question. That guy wouldn't have waited this long to bring his son back into a family. Ken knew he was less of a son and more of a mistake. Ken had been here for a few weeks. He started to accept that being in an orphanage might not be that bad.

Until a limousine appeared in the car park, and someone asked to meet him.

It was a man with long brown hair reading his files. He adjusted his glasses and had that smirk that crept Ken out a little. When the man finally noticed Ken, he invited Ken to live in a dorm. A dorm, huh. It could be better than an orphanage. It took a few hours to sign the papers and pack his belongings, not like he own anything. It was nighttime by the time he was standing in front of the building and the car.

During the car ride, Ken wondered what kind of people this man was, and what kind of people stayed in the dorm, and if they knew about his knowledge of that hour. This man had read his files. This man kept driving in silence. The car ride was no longer than ten minutes.

The car stopped and Ken looked through the car window. A four-story building. Iwatodai Dormitory.


	2. Chapter 2

Now out of the car, Ken carried his bag and walked up the few steps to the dorm door. The steps were a bit too big for his taste. The glasses man followed him in long strides. Grown-up men had long legs. Ken reached for the doorknob and opened the door with a creaking sound.

The lounge had basic furniture. TV. A table. Sofa. What Ken immediately noticed were two teenagers sitting on the sofa.

"Good evening, Mister Chairman." A redhead at the sofa gave the man a polite nod.

"Hello," a silver-haired man said. He turned to Ken's direction. "Have a seat, kiddo."

Kiddo...? Ken did not say that out loud and took a seat.

"Thanks for the car, Mitsuru. A limousine is always nice to drive in," the man with glasses walked to the table and sat on one of the chairs. "So, this is our new guest."

"My name is Ken Amada. It's nice to meet you," he said. "I'm sorry my arrival is so sudden. Is there a contract for me to sign?"

"There is no such thing like that, and we could understand your situation, Amada," the redhead said. "Good evening. My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm. I didn't expect you to arrive so late."

Mitsuru talked like the script was planned beforehand, something Ken understood and did on many occasion. "I didn't expect to move here so soon, either. As in, in a day."

"Hey, I'm Akihiko Sanada," the silver-haired man said. "Mitsuru's classmate. I also live here. Welcome, I guess?"

"My name is Shuji Ikutsuki," the man in glasses said. "You must be tired from all the excitement. You should rest early, Ken-kun."

Adults assuming things. Ken didn't have a reason to argue, so he didn't. Akihiko led Ken up the stairs. The hallway was not too long. Akihiko stopped in front of one of the doors.

"Your room," Akihiko said. "Rest well." He did not look back. The man walked to a door and entered his room.

Ken did the same and tried to get some sleep. It was harder than expected. He tossed around on the bed. It was unfamiliar. He had never stayed in a dorm before. Calm down, Ken. Think about tomorrow. The next day, he was free. He could explore the dorm in more detail. First, he took a shower. The bathroom shouldn't be too hard to find. Then, there should be food in the kitchen. If not, he had some money. The station wasn't too far and he could walk there. People here would most likely talk to him that evening. Nothing he couldn't handle. Everything was okay.

Ken took a deep breath and covered himself with the blanket. At least the bed was softer than the one at that place, but nothing could compare to his bed at home.

* * *

 

He woke up. It was quiet. He was alone in the dorm.

Ken would have to enter his own school soon, but for now, he was free. The seniors from yesterday went to their school. The chairman was out.

Ken explored the dorm. He found the bathroom on the fourth floor. There was also a big room with a big door. It was locked. He saw a vending machine and paid for a can of soda.

Ken wasn't too picky on breakfast. He sat at a chair and turned on the news, holding a cup of noodles with hot steam.

The dorm was… normal. A nice place to stay.

Ken got bored of the TV and went outside. He bought takoyaki and ate it. He walked along the streets and found himself at the Naganaki Shrine, and he went to the graveyard nearby.

It took him a while to find his mother's name. Ken knelt down and prayed, in a way that a nine years old child could.


	3. Chapter 3

That evening, the meeting was held in the locked room.

Mitsuru unlocked the door on the fourth floor. She called it the command room. Inside was a big console with a big screen, and tables and chairs. They sat around the table.

Ken looked around. It seemed like there were only four people in this dorm. The Chairman shifted through the papers, most likely Ken's files. Mitsuru was calm, unlike Akihiko who fidgeted in his seat and gave Ken a weird look from time to time.

Ikutsuki smiled at them. "You must be wondering why we invited you to live in this dorm."

"Because I'm an orphan with no home to return to." Ken frowned. "Nevermind. It's because my story is the most interesting in the report, right?"

"Indeed," Ikutsuki said. "Even though a walking statue and the tale of demons are intriguing, a sky turning green is far more interesting..." Ikutsuki had that smirk again. "... and real, isn't it?"

"You… know that too, huh." There was someone else. Ken was not crazy. It was real. "It actually happens, right?"

"The interesting part is that it depends on the observer." Ikutsuki adjusted his glasses. "It is hidden from the whole world, so it could be the same as not existing."

"Don't be cryptic with me," Ken snapped.

"Don't be rude," Akihiko whispered. Ken didn't get it until he noticed a cold look from the redhead. This guy saved him from something much worse.

"Impatient, aren't you?" Ikutsuki chuckled. "Let's start with this question. Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than twenty-four hours?"

Ken thought for a moment. "Time stops moving when the sky is green?"

"It's an added time where we shouldn't exist," Akihiko said. "Even clocks don't get it. It's not meant to be for us humans."

Ken nodded. It was the time for those monsters to roam around. He never noticed the clock when it was green, but he could imagine. Did the Earth stop rotating? It would be like another dimension.

"You've seen it firsthand," Mitsuru said. "The street lights went out. Nothing was working. There were coffins everywhere… These are the signs that you are experiencing the Dark Hour, a time period hidden between one day and the next."

"People aren't aware of it," Ikutsuki said. "But, the Dark Hour does exist. It occurs each night at midnight. It'll happen tonight, and every night to come."

Ken had something to ask. "The coffins are people, right? And people are not aware in this time?"

"That's right," Ikutsuki said. "An ordinary person transmogrifies into a coffin, and is oblivious to all that occurs."

"... That's good." Ken let out a breath. His mother didn't have to suffer. Ken assumed people like them were not 'ordinary', whatever that meant.

"But what makes it interesting are the creatures. We call them Shadows," Akihiko said. "They only appear during the Dark Hour, and attack anyone not-" He paused.

Not? Not what...? Ken had never seen any Shadows except when the horse monster attacked his mother.

"Do you start to get it now, Ken-kun?" Ikutsuki adjusted his glasses. "We are a group of people who are aware of the Dark Hour and deal with Shadows when necessary."

"Group?" Ken tilted his head. "More like a pair."

Akihiko and Mitsuru looked at each other.

"We are currently seeking for more members," Ikutsuki said. "I'm sure it will be a big group in no time."

"You're not asking me to join, are you?" Ken asked.

"I'm glad you're quick to understand." Ikutsuki smirked.

"We're  _not_  in a hurry." Akihiko turned to Ken. "You can stay here without joining us. It will be safer for you."

Mitsuru quickly added, "I suggest you stay here to be more familiar with us before deciding."

"Sure." Ken nodded. "I don't mind this place."

Two seniors and an adult smiled at him. Everybody was so much older. The thought of living here made Ken nervous. He hoped he would get used to this someday.


	4. Chapter 4

Ken started going to school again. His distant relatives paid for the school expense. School was normal. His friends asked him questions which weren't too hard to answer, but the eyes teachers sent him made him uncomfortable. Adults pitying him. He didn't need that.

When Ken came back from school, he watched TV in the lounge. Elementary gave him plenty of time after school compared to the seniors. The TV was showing animal documentary. It was better than watching the news.

Ikutsuki, Akihiko, Mitsuru… They all had read his files for sure, so they should know his mother had died on that day, the day he was aware of the Dark Hour for the first time. The seniors and he were seven years apart. These must be why the seniors stopped Ikutsuki yesterday.

Ken didn't mind joining. They were aware of the green sky. They might know something about his mother's murderer. When he found that monster again, he would kill it.

Ken was bored and went to the strip mall. The seniors, they let him stay in the dorm for safety reason. Shadows attacked people, right? How do they fight back? Ken hadn't joined the group, so he could understand if they kept it a secret. He wanted to know. Joining might not be so bad.

Ken walked past the shops in the building, then he heard… familiar voices.

It came from downstairs, in front of Hagakure. Ken moved closer to the railings. He saw Akihiko talking to a person with a maroon coat.

"Get lost, Aki."

Ken checked the time on his phone. It wasn't that late yet. Akihiko couldn't be here unless he skipped classes. He didn't seem like the type.

"Be more grateful," Akihiko said. "Your money's running out, I bet."

The other guy gave Akihiko a look and walked away.

"Hey, Shinji!" Akihiko followed him.

Ken looked at them disappearing into the crowd from above. Shinji... huh. It sounded familiar. Really familiar.

* * *

 

A few days later, Ken was watching TV at the lounge. The seniors were there too. It was unusual. Akihiko should be training and Mitsuru should be reading in her room. Ken finally understood when the door opened and someone entered.

That guy wearing a maroon coat and a beanie.

"Shinji!" Akihiro stood up and ran to him. "I've been waiting. You really come."

That guy glanced at Ken and back at Akihiko. "Is my room still vacant?"

"It's untouched." Mitsuru smiled from the sofa. "I am glad to have you back, Shinjiro."

"I've been waiting for this day, Shinji." Akihiko followed the guy who was heading toward the stairs.

Shinjiro seemed tired and ready to go to bed. Just when Ken thought that guy wasn't going to talk, he halted, turned around, and looked at Ken in the eye. "I'm Shinjiro Aragaki. I'll be living here."

"Hello." Ken forgot his usual script for a moment. "Nice… um, welcome."

"No need to be formal." Shinjiro went up the stairs.

Ken learned that this guy was also a senior and Akihiko's friend. They went to the same school. The way Shinjiro talked suggested he had been at the dorm before. He didn't go to school lately.

"Ramen tastes a lot better when you're cutting class…" Shinjiro said before he earned a smack from Mitsuru.


	5. Chapter 5

Ikutsuki kept hinting that if Ken joined too, they could do even more. He almost seemed desperate. Shinjiro made his opinion even clearer than Akihiko. Shinjiro was against Ken joining, and he made sure to say that out loud when Ikutsuki mentioned anything related to the amount of member the group had.

Mitsuru eventually told him about SEES, a group of Persona users trying to keep peace in the Dark Hour. SEES fought with Shadows which threatened to harm the city.

However, Ken never saw them in action. He never saw them leaving the dorm as a group. Sometimes, Akihiko left the dorm during the Dark Hour. Sometimes both Akihiko and Shinjiro went together.

"It's just the entrance," Akihiko said, and Mitsuru let them. Akihiko and Shinjiro always came back worn out after going to the entrance of whatever.

At least one senior was in the lounge during the Dark Hour. They could be keeping an eye on Ken. Do they worry about leaving him alone in the dorm? Even when Ikutsuki was there, too?

"You can take me along," Ken told them one day. "When you need to go out in the Dark Hour, take me too."

Ikutsuki approved of that, and so SEES let Ken tagged along that night. The seniors would rather bring him to the battlefield than let him stay with the chairman. Ken thought it was funny.

* * *

 

They stood in front of the school the seniors were from. When the sky shifted to green, the school twisted itself and reconstructed in the shape of a tower. Mitsuru called it Tartarus, the labyrinth that revealed itself during the Dark Hour.

"We're gonna destroy their nest tonight." Akihiko lightly punched Shinjiro who groaned.

"Don't go higher than the first five floors," Mitsuru said.

They entered Tartarus. The lobby was spacious. Ken felt the vibe of Greek buildings with a magical touch. The pillars were tall and there was a staircase leading to a huge clock above it.

Akihiko and Shinjiro walked up the stairs and they disappeared. Ken blinked. Did they just disappear?

"Can you hear me?" Mitsuru was talking to her… motorcycle, a radio on her motorcycle, to be exact. "I hope you still remember how it goes, Shinjiro."

Akihiko and Shinjiro were in the tower? And they can hear Mitsuru from the lobby.

Ken wished he could see them fighting using Persona. All Mitsuru did was tuning the radio and talking to it.

"Kirijo-san," Ken called her. "Can we talk? I've been thinking about it lately."

"Sure, go ahead," Mitsuru said.

"My mother, she was a good person," Ken began. "And she once told me… my father left her when he realized she was pregnant."

Mitsuru frowned. "That's terrible."

"Yeah. But the important part is, she said that it was two years before the explosion happened on this island. It was eight years ago." Ken stared at Mitsuru. "Eight years ago, it was when this school started its construction by the Kirijo Group. You are a Kirijo. Do you know anything about that, Kirijo-san?"

Mitsuru was quiet for a long time. "Kirijo Group was responsible for the explosion. We have no use of the old buildings, so Kirijo Group built a school."

"And why is Tartarus connected to the school?" Ken asked. "Why is something that was built eight years ago related to the Dark Hour…?"

"It was a mistake..." Mitsuru looked down while half crossing her arms. "The Kirijo Group's experiment led to the explosion. I do not know how Tartarus exists."

She didn't say more. Ken felt like she was hiding something, but he decided to leave it at that. Kirijo Group sure did many things about the Dark Hour. Covering the damage during the time shouldn't be too hard.

"You are sharp," Mitsuru spoke up. "Unlike people from your age, and unlike the other two."

"Thanks," Ken said.

"Amada," Mitsuru looked at him. "What is justice to you?"

"It is a random question to ask, Kirijo-san."

"Mitsuru is fine."

"Alright, Mitsuru-san. If you are afraid I will tell the police about this, I can assure you I won't."

"We appreciate it." That was not the answer Mitsuru wanted to hear.

"Normal people would say justice is laws... Not keeping secrets from police officers, for example," Ken said. "I would say, justice is punishing the bad guys, without exception or ignoring anything. What about you, Mitsuru-san? What is your answer as the heiress of Kirijo Group?"

Mitsuru thought for a moment. "To me, justice is countering injustice. We may not be able to stop the wrongdoing, but we do not turn a blind eye. If someone made a mistake, they should atone to the best of their ability."

"What if they can't? What if there is an exception?"

"We always try to do our best. In an emergency, we would have to consider the majority, and society as a whole."

"... I get it, Mitsuru-san." Ken narrowed his eyes. "It's all about how society views you, isn't it? The minority has to be overlooked sometimes, for the better."

"What are you implying, Amada?"

"Justice, too, depends on people. If people are not looking, there is no justice. And that would be bad." Ken looked at her. "If no one notices the injustice, then you can't bring justice to counter it, Mitsuru-san."

There was a green light in the corner of his eyes. Ken turned around and saw Akihiko and Shinjiro standing there. How? Many unusual things Ken had to accept.

"Welcome back," Mitsuru said. "Let's return for today."

Only I noticed it, Ken thought. I'll bring justice by my own hands if I have to.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lighthearted chapter!

Spring had passed. Ken was now in fourth grade. Everything remained the same. The seniors lived their busy lives. Ken studied in his room. At Tartarus, Ken stayed with Mitsuru in the lobby while Akihiko and Shinjiro fought.

Ken overheard the male seniors talking in the kitchen one day.

"... What? The Twenty-Fourth of June, Midsummer's Day?"

"You know that's not it..."

Ken ignored that for now.

* * *

 

A few days later, Ken came back to a dark lounge. It was quiet. He looked around. "Hello...?"

The light was turned on, and Akihiko threw the confetti in the air. The seniors were at the table and Shinjiro was holding the cake.

"It is June twenty-fourth, isn't it?" Mitsuru asked.

Ken blinked.

After a few seconds of silence, Akihiko glanced at his friends. "I think he forgot."

Shinjiro looked at Ken. "It's your frigging birthday... I'm not singing."

Akihiko was the only one who sang the birthday song. Mitsuru and Shinjiro stood awkwardly until the song ended.

"I hope my mother could rest in peace." Ken blew the candles.

Shinjiro cut the cake and they ate it. It tasted great. Akihiko struck up a conversation and they all talked for at least an hour while eating cake. Even though Shinjiro tried to stop him, Akihiko revealed that Shinjiro was the one baking the cake and decorating it.

"Thank you," Ken said.

Shinjiro pulled his beanie down to cover his face. "Don't mention it… ever again."

* * *

 

The party of introverts was over. Shinjiro was the one to clean up the mess. Ken stayed and helped clean the table.

"Happy birthday," Shinjiro said.

Ken gave the table one last wipe and straightened up. "Thanks?"

"Figure I haven't said that." Shinjiro kept washing the plates. "If you want anything, I'll help. Consider it a birthday gift."

But you have already baked a cake, Ken thought. He didn't mention it though since Shinjiro asked him not to. Anyway, there was one life long goal Ken had, and that was to figure out how and why exactly his mother has to lose a life. Being able to avenge would be a nice bonus, but the truth comes first. It had been nine months since his mother was murdered by a monster. Ken had been waiting for long enough.

"I want to join." It was the only thing Ken could do to get closer to his goal.

Shinjiro froze. "... Kids shouldn't be fighting."

"Please." Ken knew his face was serious and that Shinjiro of all people would take him seriously.

Shinjiro looked at him for a long time. Finally, he sighed. "I'll talk to others."

* * *

 

Ken was now a member of SEES. He still was not allowed to ascend the tower, only train using an Evoker with Akihiko and try using weapons with Shinjiro. Some other days, it would be the same as before he joined, Akihiko and Shinjiro going up the towers while Ken remained in the lobby.

Today, Ken was using the Evoker. Nemesis was unstable at first. Ken had a hard time trying to make him stay for longer than ten seconds.

"Hngg…" Ken groaned. Nemesis kept fading. They said it could be because he lacked motivation. But he wanted to find the truth! He wanted to kill that horse monster.

"Do not be discouraged," Mitsuru said. "Personas are not easy to control."

"But you all make it seems so easy!" Ken said.

Akihiko grinned. "It's because we've been using our Personas for like… about a year now, and a half."

Shinjiro hummed. He didn't say anything.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! [I'm here on tumblr!](https://tsukireicc.tumblr.com/)


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